Ajax-Pickering MPP announces services to help seniors remain in the home

New services announced for seniors in Ajax, Whitby

Ajax-Pickering MPP announces services to help seniors remain in the home

Ron Pietroniro / Metroland

AJAX -- MPP Joe Dickson along with the Central East Local Health Integration Network and Community Care Durham announced how local seniors will have more options for care and the ability to live independently in their homes. Kate Reed, the seniors lead for the Central LHIN spoke to audience members about some of the new initiatives during a meeting at the Ajax Legion November 9. November 9, 2012.

AJAX -- The Ontario government is putting more money into programs for local seniors, Ajax-Pickering Liberal MPP Joe Dickson announced recently.

Mr. Dickson announced a total of $710,000 in new funding for Community Care Durham. The largest portion, $450,000, is designated for Ajax to provide support to 40 seniors living at an Ajax seniors' residence at 655 Harwood Ave. Under the Assisted Living Services for High Risk Seniors program, to be implemented in January 2013, seniors will have increased access to personal support workers. This will allow the seniors to remain in their homes as opposed to moving to nursing homes as they require more support.

The announcement was made at a seminar on seniors' services co-hosted by Mr. Dickson and Conservative MP Chris Alexander at the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 322 on Hunt Street in Ajax on Nov. 9.

The Ajax program builds on similar programs already run by Community Care Durham in Whitby and Oshawa.

"This is also going to help free up hospital and long-term care beds," said Mr. Dickson.

Brent Farr, executive director of Community Care Durham, said that in addition to scheduled appointments, seniors in the program will be able to call a personal support worker for help whenever they need help with their care.

"It's a service that's available on a 24-7 basis," he said.

The example of a 92-year-old woman was cited as a client profile of a person who has used the service. The woman was already receiving three hours per week of at-home personal care, but when she suffered a fall, she was identified as high-risk and received additional services for light homemaking, reassurance, meal preparation and four pop-in visits a day for a medication reminder. When she was ill, the visits increased, allowing her to remain in her home.

In addition to the Ajax program, Mr. Dickson announced $180,000 for a new adult day program in Whitby which will which will accommodate 13 seniors. As well, $80,000 will go to the existing Home at Last program which will allow personal support workers to accompany seniors in the program to medical appointments. Both programs will be run through Community Care Durham.

"I'm out a lot on behalf of seniors and generally seniors want to maintain their quality of life in the particular location they're in which is in their homes," said Mr. Dickson, parliamentary assistant to the minister responsible for seniors.

The Community Care Durham funding is part of a $12.8-million increase in funding to the Central East Local Health Integrated Network, which covers a large area from Scarborough in the east to Northumberland in the west and from Lake Ontario to Haliburton's north border.

The bulk of the funding, $9 million, will go to the Central East Community Care Access Centre for 250,000 personal support hours, nursing and therapy visits.

Following the announcement, Central East LHIN team lead Kate Reed delivered an information presentation on the LHIN's proposed strategic aims for 2013 to 2016, focusing on plans for seniors.

This is also going to help free up hospital and lo

Reporter Reka Szekely covers the City of Oshawa for Metroland Media Group’s Durham Region Division. Reka's social media column appears every other week. Contact her on Facebook, Twitter (@rszekely)